Cactus
by tellmamatobuggeroff
Summary: She'd mentioned in passing that she'd always wanted one; leave it to him to be the only one who remembered.


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Harry Potter. I would like to, but I do not. **

She'd always had odd tastes. Not just in food, but in almost everything. She liked to go to the library to study for a test that was four weeks away; she liked to wear socks that didn't match (but charmed it so that no one but her would know); she liked to collect braclets from all the places she had been; she liked older men. She like _one_ older man specifically. An older man that was her in male form, at least from what she knew about him. She did not know if he wore what she thought of as 'rebellious socks' and she did not know if he collected bracelets from the places he had visited. She greatly doubted that last one.

Her oddest quirk by far was that she desperately wanted a cactus. Yes, that's right, a cactus. Well, you may be asking, why doesn't she just go out and buy one? Because, she wants one as a present, of course. And what Hermione Granger wants, she gets; one way or another.

This situation, however, was very different. She had hinted and hinted and hinted at wanting a cactus for her upcoming 21st birthday and no one had made any mention of it. Now, as she walked down the stairs of Grimmauld Place, heading to the kitchen on the morning of her birthday, she felt filled with hope that maybe, today would be the day.

She entered the delicious smelling kitchen to find Molly at the stove, humming and stirring some sort of food while her friends laughed and talked at the table.

"'Mione!" Ron shouted, nearly spewing food across the table. He took a moment to swallow, then continued. "Come sit down! Presents!" He exclaimed excitedly, pointing at her seat. She chuckled at his child-like behavior, but did as he asked.

"I see that, Ron. And you should chew your food better; you could choke." She said disapprovingly. Ron grinned at her sheepishly, then spoke.

"Open mine first." He said eagerly. Hermione smiled and picked up the package that was rectangular and heavy. There was no doubt in her mind about what it was.

"Oh." She said, feigning enthusiasm. "Wow, Ron. Thanks a bunch; I've wanted this one for a couple of weeks." She said, giving him a half-fake smile. She had wanted it, but not very badly.

"I know. That's why I got it." Ron said smugly.

The rest of breakfast continued in a similar manner, with Hermione getting more and more frustrated with her unoriginal friends by the second. She didn't show it, though, bottling her frustration up and hoping her mask of happiness didn't slip.

By the end of breakfast, she still didn't have her cactus, and resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't be getting one this year. With a fake smile, she thanked her friends and towed her books up to her room, despairing that her friends didn't know her anymore. But when had they ever? She kept most of herself hidden.

When she was in the middle of the first chapter of the book Ron had gotten her (Wisest Ways To Ward), she heard a soft knock on her door. Bored, she called for the person to enter, not caring that she was dressed in the too short shorts and too small tanktop that was her reading outfit, and figuring that it was only Ginny at the door.

The heavy wooden door swung open in front of where she lay on her bed, and she didn't bother looking up as it did.

"Hello, Ginny." She murmured, turning a page and not hearing the hitch in the breathing of the person at her door.

"I'm not Ginny, but hello anyway." The husky voice of her secret crush nearly purred. Feeling an anxious jerk in her stomach, Hermione's head snapped up to see the familiar figure of Remus Lupin standing at her door, hands behind his back, his eyes practically undressing her, although she didn't know that that was what he was doing.

"Oh. Remus. Hi. What are you doing here?" She asked in confusion, not noticing his jaw tighten as she slid off the bed.

"Giving you your birthday present." He said simply, not trusting his voice enough to speak anymore.

"Oh. Well, that's very kind of you, but you didn't have to-" And she was silenced quickly as from behind his back Remus pulled a six inch tall cactus. "Oh."

Remus chuckled quietly. "I'd heard you mention that you'd always wanted one, and knew that none of your friends would act on that." He grinned. "They think you're still a bookworm." He teased. She took the cactus from him gently before looking up at him and beaming.

"You would be the only one to notice." She accused lightheartedly, more teasing than anything. He smiled back at her.

"Yes, I would, wouldn't I?"

"Thank you, Remus. Thank you, thank you, thank you." She said, setting the cactus down on her bedside table before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. She did notice the hitch in his breath this time, and looked up at him in confusion.

"Something wrong?" She asked, her head tilting to the side ever so slightly. Remus swallowed hard before answering.

"Nothing at all." He gasped as she reached up to slid her head behind his neck and pull his head down, feeling his forehead gently.

"The full moon was only four day ago, maybe you've caught somethin- umph!" She grunted in surprise, her voice cut off as his lips pressed against hers. She froze for a moment before remembering who she was kissing and then started kissing him back. She felt him hesitate for a moment when she did, but brushed it off when he resumed kissing her with more passion then before.

When they finally did pull away, Remus' face was slightly flushed and Hermione's was more than slightly flushed. Leaving his arms wrapped around her waist and allowing her to rest her head on his chest he murmured quietly to her, "That outfit is really quite provocative, you know."

Hermione looked up at him in almost-surprise.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed." She shrugged. Remus smirked at this.

"Well, then, I'll have to rectify that."

And the door was promptly locked and Hermione's beloved cactus (which would later be named Romulous) was moved to a location that was more sturdy than right next to the bed that would soon be occupied by two bodies.

**I've been meaning to write that for a while now, and until now haven't quite gotten it right. I think it was the writing style I was using though. I really like this one. Well, you guys know the drill. You've already read it, so just review now! Reviews make me very happy and with exams in ONE week, I need all the happiness I can get! Thanks a bunch!**

**BTW: I will be getting another chapter of Letters From Home out soon, it's just taking me a while. Like with this little story, I can't quite get it right and refuse to post it until I do!**


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